Executive Says Government Can Mandate Construction of Charging Stations

SHENZHEN, China—China is weighing a new tax on gasoline to fund efforts to make electric cars more palatable to Chinese consumers, according to Wang Chuanfu, chairman of electric-car maker BYD Co.

In an interview, Mr. Wang said given the number of conventional cars on the road in China, even a small tax of 0.2 yuan a liter of gasoline—equivalent to about 12 cents a gallon—could yield "hundreds of billions" of yuan in tax...